Clinical trials are carefully designed research studies that test promising new cancer treatments. You may want to talk to your doctor about this option. Patients who take part in research studies will be the first to benefit from these treatments. These patients can make an important contribution to medical care because the study results will also help other patients. In a clinical trial, you get either standard treatment or an experimental treatment. Studies are never done to see if you would recover from cancer without treatment at all. As in any other medical treatment, you are free to withdraw from a clinical trial at any time and seek other treatment options.

To learn more about clinical trials:

• Ask for our document on clinical trials called Clinical Trials: What You Need To Know, or read it on our Web site.

• The American Cancer Society also offers a Clinical Trials Matching Service to help you find clinical trials that might be right for you. The service is available by telephone Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CT at 1-800-303-5691 or you can fill out a screening questionnaire anytime at www.cancer.org/clinicaltrials.

• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) can give you a list of clinical trials based on the type and stage of your cancer. Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or visit the NCI’s Web site at www.nci.nih.gov.

Last Medical Review: 08/28/2008
Last Revised: 09/11/2008